ElectricMotorcycleForum.com

You didn't even think of a reverse gear? Amateur.

Seriously, half of your wish list are gimmicks that most of the market can live without or easily fixed with cheap third-party products.

The essentials are: fairing and charging.

• Factory heated grips
• Yes, you can get third party heated grips.  I have some Oxford Heaterz that work great.  But I shouldn't have to install myself and the controls for the heated grips should be integrated with the rest of the factory controls for a clean look.
• Cruise control
• This is cheap for Zero to add and for someone like me adds tremendous value.  They already offer the ability to limit top speed in custom mode.  Cruise control only requires hand controls and some real estate on the display.  I hate hunting for a speed.  As a commuter cruise control is a way for me to set my speed at a cop friendly value....its way too easy and fun to speed on a Zero.  For longer rides cruise is a must have for the aforementioned peace of mind when passing the cops and to prevent hand cramping.
• Fairing
• Definitely not a gimmick. Essential to improve range and provide wind protection.  The fairing can also add to the aesthetics if they do it right.
• Larger and lockable tank storage...big enough for a full face helmet
• I have a top box on my Zero.  I would much rather have a larger storage area in the tank area that could be locked.  A large tank could easily be added that would look good and then for most uses the top box is no longer required.  Side cases that could be attached without needing an ugly frame and that can fit a full face helmet would actually be great too (I love the way they did it on the MV Augusta TURISMO VELOCE 800...in fact if they could just make that bike electric I would be throwing my money at them).  If I were incrementally adding additional storage the top box is the last place I would add.  Once everything else is full, go to the top box.  Right now, the top box box is the only option for a Zero that will fit a helmet.  And once again, this doesn't add a lot of cost to the bike.
• Fast charging
• Duh
• Canceling turn signals
• Not a gimmick.  I am notorious for forgetting to turn them off...which is dangerous....and lots of people are just like me.
• Traction control....probably would turn it off most of the time but would be great for bad weather days
• I can see why some call it a gimmick.  I'm not sold either way.  I have never had it on a bike and reviews I have seen can go either way.  As long as I can default it OFF if I want, any help when conditions are less than ideal would be welcomed.  Nobody's perfect all the time.
• Keyless operation and Full color touchscreen display
• The reason Tesla is winning is because they are going after the 'tech' crowd.  The 'iPhone' crowd.  The 'BMW' crowd.  Keyless operation and the color touchscreen bring that something extra that gets people excited about the product and they add a lot to the convenience of using the bike.  Especially if it included support for Android Auto and Apple Car Play so that you could put up navigation etc on the display.  MUCH better than trying to mount cell phone.  I have shattered a phone display after going over a pot hole and losing my cell phone from its mount.  I shouldn't have to risk losing my cell phone and all the data on it in order to put up nav.

Quote from: BrianTRice on September 30, 2015, 12:46:50 PM

You didn't even think of a reverse gear? Amateur.

Seriously, half of your wish list are gimmicks that most of the market can live without or easily fixed with cheap third-party products.

The essentials are: fairing and charging.

You may think they are gimmicks but I don't think so at all.  With the exception of the color touch screen and fast charging these items don't add a lot to the cost of the bike but they add a lot of value...in my opinion.  Reverse would be a good feature to add because I know a lot of people want it and it would help Zero sell bikes.  However, I personally don't put reverse high on my list.  In the 8K miles I have put on my 2014 Zero S I can only think of one scenario where I was parking on a VERY steep driveway where I wished I had reverse.  That said, I'm sure if I had it I would love it and use it all the time.  On the other hand, over 8K miles I have often thought of other things missing from my bike...

• Factory heated grips
• Yes, you can get third party heated grips.  I have some Oxford Heaterz that work great.  But I shouldn't have to install myself and the controls for the heated grips should be integrated with the rest of the factory controls for a clean look.
• Cruise control
• This is cheap for Zero to add and for someone like me adds tremendous value.  They already offer the ability to limit top speed in custom mode.  Cruise control only requires hand controls and some real estate on the display.  I hate hunting for a speed.  As a commuter cruise control is a way for me to set my speed at a cop friendly value....its way too easy and fun to speed on a Zero.  For longer rides cruise is a must have for the aforementioned peace of mind when passing the cops and to prevent hand cramping.
• Fairing
• Definitely not a gimmick. Essential to improve range and provide wind protection.  The fairing can also add to the aesthetics if they do it right.
• Larger and lockable tank storage...big enough for a full face helmet
• I have a top box on my Zero.  I would much rather have a larger storage area in the tank area that could be locked.  A large tank could easily be added that would look good and then for most uses the top box is no longer required.  Side cases that could be attached without needing an ugly frame and that can fit a full face helmet would actually be great too (I love the way they did it on the MV Augusta TURISMO VELOCE 800...in fact if they could just make that bike electric I would be throwing my money at them).  If I were incrementally adding additional storage the top box is the last place I would add.  Once everything else is full, go to the top box.  Right now, the top box box is the only option for a Zero that will fit a helmet.  And once again, this doesn't add a lot of cost to the bike.
• Fast charging
• Duh
• Canceling turn signals
• Not a gimmick.  I am notorious for forgetting to turn them off...which is dangerous....and lots of people are just like me.
• Traction control....probably would turn it off most of the time but would be great for bad weather days
• I can see why some call it a gimmick.  I'm not sold either way.  I have never had it on a bike and reviews I have seen can go either way.  As long as I can default it OFF if I want, any help when conditions are less than ideal would be welcomed.  Nobody's perfect all the time.
• Keyless operation and Full color touchscreen display
• The reason Tesla is winning is because they are going after the 'tech' crowd.  The 'iPhone' crowd.  The 'BMW' crowd.  Keyless operation and the color touchscreen bring that something extra that gets people excited about the product and they add a lot to the convenience of using the bike.  Especially if it included support for Android Auto and Apple Car Play so that you could put up navigation etc on the display.  MUCH better than trying to mount cell phone.  I have shattered a phone display after going over a pot hole and losing my cell phone from its mount.  I shouldn't have to risk losing my cell phone and all the data on it in order to put up nav.

Long winded...sorry